Former DMK Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan arrested for alleged defamatory remarks against CM Vijay

Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), Jul 3 (PTI) Former DMK Minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan was arrested here on Friday following the Madras High Court rejecting his anticipatory bail plea relating to his defamatory speech against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, police said. Radhakrishnan alleged that he was pressured to resign as MLA and join the ruling TVK. However, Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar said Radhakrishnan will never be admitted even if he falls at the CM's feet. When he was being taken by the police to be produced in court on Friday evening, the former minister claimed that he was offered a significant amount of money to quit DMK and switch loyalty to TVK, but he remained firm on not yielding. "I will always remain in the DMK," Radhakrishnan told reporters. Responding, state Energy Resources Minister Nirmal Kumar explained that Radhakrishnan was arrested following the court's rejection of his anticipatory bail application. The action was taken for his defamatory remarks against the Chief Minister and his family. Speaking to reporters in Madurai, Kumar explicitly stated that persons like Radhakrishnan will never be welcomed into the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, regardless of their attempts to join or reconcile. "Even if someone like Radhakrishnan who is a rowdy and a despicable person, performs penance (tavam), and falls at the feet of the CM, brother Vijay, we will never admit him into the TVK," Kumar said accusing the DMK leader of being involved in various forms of misconduct in the southern Tamil Nadu over the last 20 years including "land grabbing, holding kangaroo courts and disturbing peace in the region." The minister dismissed rumours that the TVK encouraged people to resign and join its party. Radhakrishnan was arrested while he was on a visit to Authoor about 23 km from here by the police who escorted him to the waiting police jeep. His supporters gathered and raised slogans condemning the police for the action. DMK president M K Stalin questioned the urgent need to arrest Radhakrishnan who was conducting an inspection in his constituency whereas the ruling TVK has not taken any steps to act on a complaint lodged by a woman victim over an alleged gang rape involving a MLA, he claimed. "Why the urgency. Is this the change this government which is unable to prevent the murders, robberies and sexual crimes against women, and engrossed in admitting members from other parties, want to ensure," the former chief minister asked on 'X'. If arrests were made in defamation cases, then how many ministers would be arrested for their speeches, Stalin wondered. "The chief minister thinks he can retain his seat through horse-trading and without doing any good to the people who voted for him and pass the time by arresting the opposition party members who criticise him. Arrogance is the path to destruction," Stalin said. DMK MP Kanimozhi also condemned the arrest and said on 'X' that the party would not yield to such "oppressive tactics." Strongly condemning the arrest, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin termed it as an act of political vendetta. "The reels government cannot paralyse or suppress the DMK by foisting false cases and resorting to arrest," Udhayanidhi said on 'X'. Radhakrishnan, representing the Tiruchendur Assembly constituency, had on June 20 made alleged derogatory remarks against the chief minister, prompting the TVK to launch a complaint with the police. Cases under section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and section 353 (2) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the BNS were registered against the legislator, police said. Dismissing his bail plea, Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan orally remarked that being a member of the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishnan should not have made such statements. PTI JSP JSP KH